'Doctor Who' Christmas Special 2013: "The Time of the Doctor" Reveals First Poster, Synopsis and Casting

Over the weekend we caught our first look at the 'Doctor Who' 2013 Christmas special with a brief teaser attached to 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor," but the BBC has already done us several better. Prepare for Matt Smith's 'Doctor Who' departure with the first artwork, description and casting from 2013 Christmas special "The Time of the Doctor"!

Plenty of rumors have begun flying about the year-end special, which formally introducesPeter Capaldi as the next generation of 'Doctor Who,' so we'll stick to the most directly verified. In addition to the teaser revelation that Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, The Silence and Trenzalore would all figure into the plot, "The Time of the Doctor" has reportedly cast 'Fringe' actress Orla Brady in the role of "someone from the Doctor’s past."

Says the BBC's offical description of the special:

Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe’s deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars - and amongst them, the Doctor.

Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe.

The BBC also offered our first high-res look at artwork from "The Time of the Doctor," featuring Matt Smith's Doctor menacingly holding a destroyed Cyberman head, while a number of enemies lurk in the background. Additional reports from BleedingCool and other sources claim that the special will answer a number of continuity mysteries from Matt Smith's tenure, among them the true regeneration numbering that became complicated both by John Hurt's portrayal of "The War Doctor," and a regeneration used up during David Tennant's run.

You can check out the full 'Doctor Who' Christmas special artwork below, and tell us in the comments what you hope to see answered by "The Time of the Doctor!"